Part 7 (1/2)
For a hundred thousand pieces of eight and fifty head of cattle, Don Diego would forbear fro the place to ashes And what ti these details with the apoplectic British Governor, the Spaniards were s after the hideous , ventured down at dusk into the town What he saw there is recorded by Jeremy Pitt to who froreater part ofany of it here It is all too loathso, incredible, indeed, that men however abandoned could ever descend such an abyss of bestial cruelty and lust
What he saas fetching hiain, when in a narrow street a girl hurtled into hi behind her as she ran After her, laughing and cursing in a breath, came a heavy-booted Spaniard Alot in his way The doctor had taken a sword from a dead man's side soainst an eer and surprise, he caught in the dusk the livid gleam of that shich Mr Blood had quickly unsheathed
”Ah, perro ingles!” he shouted, and flung forward to his death
”It's hoping I am ye're in a fit state to h the body He did the thing skilfully: with the coeon The roan
Mr Blood swung to the girl, who leaned panting and sobbing against a wall He caught her by the wrist
”Co hiht ”Who are you?” she demanded wildly
”Will ye wait to seetowards them from beyond the corner round which she had fled froain And this tilish speech, she ithout further questions
They sped down an alley and then up another, by great good fortuneno one, for already they were on the outskirts of the town They won out of it, and white-faced, physically sick, Mr Blood dragged her almost at a run up the hill towards Colonel Bishop's house He told her briefly who and what he was, and thereafter there was no conversation between the white house It was all in darkness, which at least was reassuring If the Spaniards had reached it, there would be lights He knocked, but had to knock again and yet again before he was answered Then it was by a voice from aabove
”Who is there?” The voice was Miss Bishop's, a little tremulous, but unmistakably her own
Mr Blood alinable He had pictured her down in that hell out of which he had just coht have followed her uncle into Bridgetown, or committed some other imprudence, and he turned cold froht have happened to her
”It is I - Peter Blood,” he gasped
”What do you want?”
It is doubtful whether she would have come down to open For at such a time as this it was no ht be in revolt and prove as great a danger as the Spaniards But at the sound of her voice, the girl Mr Blood had rescued peered up through the gloom
”Arabella!” she called ”It is I, Mary Traill”
”Mary!” The voice ceased above on that exclaaped wide Beyond it in the wide hall stood Miss Arabella, a slileale candle which she carried
Mr Blood strode in followed by his distraught co upon Arabella's slender bosom, surrendered herself to a passion of tears But he wasted no time
”Whom have you here with you? What servants?” he derooet out horses Then aith you to Speightstown, or even farther north, where you will be safe Here you are in danger - in dreadful danger”
”But I thought the fighting was over” she was beginning, pale and startled
”So it is But the deviltry's only beginning Miss Traill will tell you as you go In God's name, madam, take my word for it, and do as I bid you”
”He he saved hast ”Saved you from what, Mary?”
”Let that wait,” snapped Mr Blood al when you're out of this, and away beyond their reach Will you please call James, and do as I say - and at once!”
”You are very peremptory”
”Oh, my God! I am peremptory! Speak, Miss Trail!, tell her whether I've cause to be pere ”Do as he says - Oh, for pity's sake, Arabella”
Miss Bishop went off, leaving Mr Blood and Miss Traill alone again
”I I shall never forget what you did, sir,” said she, through her diirl, a child, no s in my time That's why I'm here,” said Mr Blood, whose mood seemed to be snappy
She didn't pretend to understand him, and she didn't make the attempt
”Did you did you kill him?” she asked, fearfully
He stared at her in the flickering candlelight ”I hope so It is very probable, and it doesn't matter at all,” he said ”What matters is that this fellow Ja off to accelerate these preparations for departure, when her voice arrested him
”Don't leave me! Don't leave me here alone!” she cried in terror
He paused He turned and ca above her he smiled upon her
”There, there! You've no cause for alarhtstohere you'll be quite safe”
The horses came at last - four of theuide, Miss Bishop had her woman, as not to be left behind
Mr Blood lifted the slight weight of Mary Traill to her horse, then turned to say good-bye to Miss Bishop, as alreadyto add But whatever it was, it remained unspoken The horses started, and receded into the sapphire starlit night, leaving hi there before Colonel Bishop's door The last he heard of the back on a quavering note - ”I shall never forget what you did, Mr Blood I shall never forget”
But as it was not the voice he desired to hear, the assurance brought hi the fireflies amid the rhododendrons, till the hoofbeats had faded Then he sighed and roused himself He had much to do His journey into the town had not been one of idle curiosity to see how the Spaniards conducted themselves in victory It had been inspired by a very different purpose, and he had gained in the course of it all the inforht before hi
He went off briskly in the direction of the stockade, where his fellow-slaves awaited him in deep anxiety and some hope
CHAPTER IX
THE REBELS-CONVICT
There were, when the purple glooht descended upon the Caribbean, not as, so confident - and with good reason - were the Spaniards of the complete subjection of the islanders And when I say that there were ten uard, I state rather the purpose for which they were left aboard than the duty which they fulfilled As a matter of fact, whilst the main body of the Spaniards feasted and rioted ashore, the Spanish gunner and his creho had so nobly done their duty and ensured the easy victory of the day - were feasting on the gun-deck upon the wine and the fresh meats fetched out to theil, at steilant as they should have been, or else they must have observed the therries that under cover of the darkness careased rowlocks, to bring up in silence under the great shi+p's quarter
Froo had descended to the boat that had taken hi presently round this gallery, was suddenly confronted by the black shadow of abefore him at the head of the ladder
”Who's there?” he asked, but without alar it one of his fellows